Tie-tamper.



P. J. GILBOY. TIE TAMPER. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 11, 1908.

917,860. I I Patented Apr. 13,1909.

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P. J. GILROY- TIE'TAMPER. APPLICATION YILED DEC. 26, 1907. RENEWED SEPT. 11, 1908- 2 917,860. Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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rarnnrorrrcn Tm-TAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed December 2c, 1907, Serial No. 403,220. Renewed September 11, 1908. Serial No. caaeeo.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. GrLRoY, citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Tie-Tampers, of which the folowing is a specification, reference being had should a train by any chance strike the apparatus.

Practically, it is desirable that tamping be done only under and for short distance on each side of each rail, lest the tie rock upon the ballast under its middle. v/Vith these points in view, I provide one or more tempers to act under an alongside one rail, preferably without connections extending to the companion rail. Each tamper is handled by one man, being detachably engaged with, and sup orted by, the rail or ties and moved from si e to side of the rail and from tie to tie, as desired, by'the operator, the whole apparatus being so light as to be readily handled, as a power operated tool, by one person.

In the accompanyinidrawings, Figure 1 is aperspective view of t e apparatus in working position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of all part of the cylinder and handle broken away to show a fluid conduit. Fig. 3 is a cross section of a rail with a certain support mounted thereon. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the su port of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail section oi a cylinder clamping device. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a modified construction. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified support seen also in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section at 8-8, Fig. 6.

In Figs. 1, 2, A represents an ordinary rail resting upon any suitable ties B, and C a cylinder having a tool-carrying plunger rod D which is caused to reciprocate rapidly by means offiuid, preferably air, under ressure brought to the ap aratus by a fiexi le pipe E within the cylin er and valve chest F, and the tool-carrying devices are wholly Without novelty and except the latter, are not shown.

The cylinder is shown as provided at its upper end with a handle G and to one side of this handle the pipe E is attached. The fluid passes from the pipe E through a passage G in the handle and thence along a passage Gr in the wall of the cylinder to the interior of the valve chamber F. The handle is provided at a convenient point with a valve H normally closed by the fluid pressure but held open, when the tool is operated, by pressure. of the thumb or finger upon the valve; whereby air is cut ofi instantly when tamping is not desired. To sup ort the cylinderl provide a vertical prefera ly tubular standard I having a base plate I to rest upon the rail. The base plate has on one side a rigid hook I to engage the lower side of the rail head and u on the opposite side an analogous hook I hinged to the plate and provided witha spring I for yieldingly holdmg this hook also in engagement with the rail head. If now the standard be mounted on the rail its rigid hook positively resists force tending to push it in one direction while its spring hook resists a moderate force acting inthe contrary direction but is disengaged by a stronger force. Upon the standardare adjustably fixed collars I I and between them is held a collar having a horizontal arm J to support the cylinder 0. This arm may be locked against rotation on the standard by a set screw J. The cylinder is provided with an external dovetail groove C m which lies the head of-a bolt K and upon this bolt is aloose sleeve K which coacts with the bolt head to gri the flanges of the groove when a wing-nut is screwed inward on the bolt. Upon the sleeve K is loosely mounted a block K which also slides freely upon the arm J. The standard, being mounted on i the rail, its arm is adjusted at any desired height and a proximately parallel to the ties and is loc ed to the standard, the cylinder is set at the desired height and locked at that height by the win -nu't K and a suitable tamping bit or too D is secured in the tool holder. The handle at the upper end of the cylinder is grasped and the spring valve is pressed inward opening the passage and admitting fluid to the valve chest. This causes rapid reciprocation of the tamping tool, which is variously inclined in the same plane by rocking the cylinder with respect to the block K and in a difierent plane by rocking it and said block on the arm J, these provided with means for engaging said structhem being given by the hand which grasps the handle. The rigid hook I is always placed upon that sideof the rail upon which the tool is to work and hence the standard rigidly resists the" reaction of the blows struck by the tool. It is obvious that the tool may be so inclined as to drive ballast beneath the tie at a point directly below the rail as well as at all points not greatly more distant from the rail than the free end of the arm J. When one side has thus been tamped the standard may be slid along the rail to bring thetool in position to operate upon the other side. When it is desired to tam upon the opposite side of the rail, the stan ard with a the parts supported thereby, is swung toward the side upon which the c linder maybe, whether between the ra' s or otherwise, detached from the rail and then replaced with the rigid hook upon the opposite side of the rail so that it may again resist the reaction of the blows. The whole operation requires less time than the description, and obviously the whole a paratus may be-almost instantl removed rom the roadway if desired, a though the spring hook revents the weight of the cyhnder from etaching the standard from the rail should the operator cease to hold the apparatus.

A modified construction, illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 discards the standard and uses a plate or base L to rest upon one or more of the ties, the base having its end L bent down to en age the lateral face of the tie. To this bent base, near its bent end, is hinged a plate M provided with one or more transverse slots M. The sleeve N and bolt 0 are made shorter than the corresponding sleeve and bolt of the first form but both pass through the slot M and as before the cylinder is locked to the bolt and sleeve, but not locked to the plate by the wingnut, adjustment being had by sliding the cylinder 10 itudinally as before, and by moving it odily along the slot. The late M is sup orted at its free end by a rod provided Wit a turnbuckle P for varying 1ts length. In using this form the foot of the operator is placed upon the plate L, and the reaction is against the tie instead of the rail. It is evident that two of these tampers may be used simultane ously upon opposite sides of the same tie and that one or two others may be used at the same time at the o posite ends of the ties, any number up to t e limit of the air supply may be 0' erated from the same source of power, whlch is usually a compressor at some distance from theworking point.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a power-actuated tie tam ing mechanism, of a supporting base adapte to restupon the roadway structure at one side of themedial line thereof and ture and resisting lateral movement While permltt ng the ,base to be lifted, and devices connecting said mechanism and devices adapted to permit the former to swing both vertically and from side to side, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a supporting base adapted for resting upon the roadway structure at one side of the medial line thereof and for laterally engaging the same to re sist sliding while permitting the lifting of the base by the hand, of power-actuated tietamping mechanism supported from thebase by devices permitting the mechanism to slide toward and from said structure and to swing upon both horizontal and non-horizontal axes.

3. The combination with a supporting base adapted to rest upon the roadway structure upon one side of the medial line of the roadway, of power actuated tie tamping' engagebeneat one side thereof, ofan arm projecting laterally from said standard, and

a p0.wer actuated tie-tamping mechanism mounted to slide freely along saidarm and to swing in vertical and non-verticalplanes.

' 5. The combination'with a standardhaving a'base which is adapted to rest-upon a rail and is provided with a rigid projection to engage beneath one side of the rail and prevent swinging of the standard to the'opposite side, of devices for yieldingly resisting swinging of the standard in the opposite direction, an arm projecting laterally from the standard, and power-actuated tamping de-.

vices mounted to slide along said arm.

6. The combination with an upright standard adapted to rest upon a rail, of an arm projecting from the standard androta table thereon, means for adjustably fixing the height of. the arm while leaving it free to rotate about the standard, and apoweractuated tie-tamping mechanism mounted to slide along said arm and to swing freely in vertical and non-vertical planes.

7. The combination with a rigid horizon-' tal arm and means for supporting the same from a single rail, of a 'oylindermounted to slide freely both along said arm and transversely w1th respect thereto, and to swin freely in both vertical and non-vertic'a planes, means for locking the cylinder at an point in its transversely sliding path, a too carrying reciprocating member in said cylinhaving the laterally projecting arm and pro vided at its lower end with the rigid hook 15 upon one side and the spring hook upon the opposite side,'of a tool-operating fluid pressure cylinder adjustably secured upon said arm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. GILROY.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN J. FARRELL, RICHARD J. HARTNETT. 

